A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 2
by Zane's Girlfriend
Summary: Zane is in an accident and goes into a coma. His family turns him off for a year, not realizing their Nindroid can perceive everything, even after dead. Can a touch after that long, from a loved one, bring him back? If he does return, will people accept him? What has changed in a year? He was intending to tell Pixal about his memories. Rated T for my usual violence stories.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Alone Forever

"I am sorry," I hear Cyrus Borg's despondent voice speaking hesitantly, "I have tried all that I am capable of, but-he cannot be saved."

"What do you mean?" Kai demands.

"Is this my fault?" Pixal's soft voice inquires, "If I return Zane's heart to him, will he be alright?"

Cyrus responds quietly, "No, even if you returned his other half of his artificial heart to him, he would still, inevitably, die. We were too late."

"No, he can't die!" Jay's voice causes my ears to ring as I hear a scuffling noise and sobbing.

_Am I going to die? What is going on? _I try to open my eyes, yet strangely find them shut tightly; I feel weak; I cannot speak, but just listen in utter disbelief as my family discuses my coming demise.

"Please, Zane, don't leave us," I feel Lloyd's hand stroking my hair and hear his voice whispering into my ear, filled with sorrow.

"How could-how could I have forgotten about him and left him like that?" Cole blames himself.

"Why did we go to a remote area anyway?" Kai speaks indignantly, "This is not fair!"

I hear something shatter and Nya's voice about a few feet away, "Kai, please calm down."

"But, he doesn't deserve this! Why should he suffer for our mistakes? Zane can't die because of us!"

"I know Kai, but sometimes, life is like this. One moment we are here, the next we are gone. Zane is our family, but this is one of those times when we need to do what is best for him," Sensei Wu tells the fire ninja.

"What do you mean by that?" Kai shouts.

"He will die anyway, but if we do not pull the plug, he will die a very slow and painful death."

_Pull the plug? They are going to kill me? _I struggle to move or scream, or even lift a finger. Nothing; I might as well be dead already, but I don't wish to die. I wish to live. Lloyd moves his hand out of my hair and I feel a cold hand gently stroke my face. It is Pixal; I know it is her.

"I love you Zane. You understand, don't you?" she asks me.

I want to tell her something, to comfort her, to reassure her I do love her and understand, but I don't respond. "Zane, please understand why we are doing this, we love you, forever," Sensei Wu says solemnly. I sense everyone is gathered close by me and I know what this has come to. I will be turned off permanently, to be alone, forever. The one thing I never told my family is that if they do not use my switch to turn me off, I will perceive everything around me, but in a coma-like state, living on and on, with utter loneliness, not being able to respond.

_If they are going to kill me, I hope they use my switch. Wait! I do not have one anymore after the incident with Jason and his droids. _I feel a hand touching something connected to me being fingered, and slowly being pulled out. _No! _They pull it. I am gone, forever, in the blink of an eye. I am dead. I hear the others cry hysterically and tears dropping on my hands, hair, and face as my family laments over my enslaved body. _Why, why, why?! I would rather be dead than trapped! _I lay on some hard object-most likely a table-for who-knows-how-long, listening to their wails.

"Zane, Zane, Zane! No!" Kai screams, the sounds of his agony and loss ripping my dead heart to shreds. I slowly drift to sleep.

I wake up, but find I cannot open my eyes, nor can I move, nor can I speak. I suddenly remember that I am dead, yet I hear not a single trace of life. I lie here for a long, long time, straining for any noise from the others. All I perceive at the moment is the ticking of a clock. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, until I am at the brink of going mad; someone's footsteps move outside the room and a door opens. Something is being moved ;and then the footsteps recede and the door closes again with a click as it is locked. Whoever came in removed the clock, and now I feel even lonelier without any sound whatsoever. Nothing is here, not even an insect. They have abandoned me. I am alone.

**So what do you think? This is going to be an extremely traumatic story. Please rate and review! :) Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago.**


	2. Chapter 2: I Was Dead

Chapter 2

I Was Dead

I do not know how long it has been since they pulled the plug; however, I am certain someone will come in here, or at least, I hope so. I slowly drift back into sleep.

_I am suddenly in a quite snowy place, with a cool drift blowing on my confused face. I turn to see a breathtakingly beautiful mountain, the peaks of it tipped with white. The place is quiet, tranquil, and no one is here. I breathe deeply, the lovely air from the weather filling my artificial lungs and I gaze to see an owl, sleeping soundly in a branch of a tree. I smile, but then wince as I feel a sharp pain in my right leg and I drop on the ground. I sit up and attempt to stand, only causing more pain when I apply more pressure to my limb._

_ "__Kai, Jay, Lloyd, Sensei, Cole, Nya, anyone?" I call, cupping my hands round my mouth. I hear nothing but echoes throughout the vast area, lined with many birch trees, and something in the distance. It advances rapidly and I see a large van rushing towards me. I shout and frantically wave my arms to get the driver's attention. It doesn't stop and I see headlights blinding me for an instant; then something hits me. Searing pain courses through my body as I fly through the air. I close my eyes._

I try to open them, but find the pain has vanished and I am lying on the table. I sigh inwardly with relief. _It was only a dream, or was it? _Sweat rolls down my forehead and I wish I could wipe it off, yet I feel a cloth on my head, wiping it off. _Who is it?_

"I wish we had not gone with the others on that trip," Pixal speaks softly to herself, "Why does he have to die?" My heart tears into 1,000 pieces as her usually monotone voice sounds strained with grief.

**A Year Later**

Nothing has happened, nothing, for so long, I want to rip my vital cords out and die, no matter how painful my passing. My family has forgotten me. No one has come here to visit me for a lengthier time than I can fathom. Even Pixal's visits dwindled, and have now ceased altogether, leaving me without a loved one in my black world of despair. I do not have any hope left in my circuitry, no love, no movement, no pulse, nothing but the torture of hearing. Every sense is dull now, and I feel locked up, rusty, ancient even. Creak! I suddenly hear some sort of movement above me, perhaps the floorboards creaking by a rat treading on it. I hope it is someone I know, or something to kill me, yet I sense it is not an animal, nor a human.

I lie here waiting as a door creaks on rusty hinges and footsteps approach, sounding hesitant. A hand gently touches my hair, smoothing it out softly, in a feminine manner. _Pixal, is that you? _

"Zane, I am sorry. Things have changed so much that I-I cannot bear to live without you. I cannot bear to face the fact that you are gone. You and Mr. Borg are the only ones that have ever cared for me, yet you are gone and my creator's days are numbered. I am coming to join you."

It has been so long since she has been here that I feel a pulse come from my energy source. A single pulse, that dies down in a matter of moment. _I hope she understands what is happening to me. Please don't die because of me! _I use all of my willpower and lift a finger, two more pulses coming from my heart.

"Zane?" Pixal gasps.


	3. Chapter 3: Solemn Tidings

**Chapter 3**

**Solemn Tidings**

_Please, please, please, move! _I scream at my body, attempting to move more in order to prove what is going on, yet nothing is working. _No, no, no, no, please! _My mouth opens and I let out a soft whisper of 'no', hoping with all my soul that she hears me.

"Zane, can you hear me?" Pixal cries out, grasping my hands, her own trembling. My eyes fly open and I see my first love's face bending over me, her dark green eyes moist, a tear rolling down her cheek. I do not recall her ever having the capability of crying before, but something is different about her, though it has seemed as if I have not seen her for ages and ages. "Zane, you are alive!" she screams, wrapping her arms round me, burying her lovely face in chest, sobbing. I know now. Her metal hair is shaped into a long rosette, going down, nearly elbow length, and she is dressed differently as well. When she pulls away I can see her clad in a white dress going past her feet, with sliver trim and glitter. Roses decorate it, as well as her hair, and a silver ring with a white diamond adorns her finger.

_Is she marrying someone else? Wait! that is the ring I bought for her, and the wedding dress we picked out. _"Y-your c-c-l-loth-thing," I manage to say with great difficulty.

"Oh, I am wearing the dress, because I wanted to feel as if today were our wedding day, since we had not had the chance to be together. Zane, forgive me for leaving you for six months!" she takes my hands in hers.

"S-six m-months?" I ask in disbelief.

"You have been gone for-a year."

"A year?!" I exclaim, finding my voice stronger, "Where are my brothers? What happened to them?"

At the mention of my family, Pixal's eyes widen and she looks down, saying softly, "Jay and Nya are married and have a baby girl about two weeks old; Lloyd, Misako, and Garmadon are living together as a family should, but Sensei is with them, and he's-empty."

"Empty? What do you mean?"

"He sits in his room all day, not responding to anyone, and all he will say is 'Where is Zane? He has been gone a long time.' Cole is moving in with Kai, who has a wife, who has been pregnant for eight months with twins; aboy and a girl. You will need to see Kai. He….he is not well."

"Why? What's the matter with him?" I ask fearing many probabilities.

"You need to see him."

We had gone to Pixal's apartment so she could change into normal clothing, and then drove to Kai's house, located not too far into New Ninjago city. Pixal knocks softly on the door of a one floor dwelling; and a young blond lady answers the door. "Pixal, come in!" I follow both women into a plain, peach colored living room, with two red couches and a love seat, and a coffee table in front of it. "Please, sit down and I will go get Kai." Pixal and I take a seat on the couch and I glance around. Next to us is a fireplace with pictures of everyone and Kai's new family. I wince, grabbing my shoulder. Although Pixal gave me oil, my joints still ache, sometimes almost unbearably and I redirect my focus to outside the window, seeing lovely snowflakes raining. Eventually, Kai slowly enters the room and I turn to see he is paler than before, and seems sickly. I stand up; when he notices me, his dark, brown eyes well up with tears and he rushes forward, wrapping both arms round me weakly, exclaiming, "Zane, you're alive!"

"He is Zane?" his wife stares at me with a confused expression.

Kai pulls away from me after a few moments and says, while wiping away the tears, "I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce you two. Zane, this is my wife, Melissa. Melissa, this is my brother-the one I told you was dead-Zane."

"I've seen you before, at the beach and the mall, didn't I?" I ask her.

"Oh, you were there. Yes, I was," Melissa's cheeks turn slightly pink from embarrassment, and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "What happened to your face?"

"My face?" I question her.

I glance at Pixal to see her shaking her head at Melissa, giving her an anxious look. "Um, would any of you like something to drink?" Melissa offers.

"No thank you," I respond, not feeling the desire to have anything in my stomach at the moment.

"We'll be fine," Pixal responds.

All three of us sit down and I ask Kai's wife, "How are your twins?" I ask.

At the mention of her children, she smiles, touching her stomach thoughtfully, "They are great, thank you."

I smile back, yet it shoots pain up my jaw, causing me to flinch and the others glance at me. "Are you alright?" Pixal puts a hand on my shoulder. I nod and there comes a knock on the door. Pixal gets up and offers, "I'll get it." I stare at Kai. His color doesn't look good, and I sense he is hiding something from me by the way he is keeping to himself.

"Are you ill?" I take a direct approach, the only one a robot knows.

He gazes at me and the corners of his mouth lift up slightly and he manages to say, "You've always been one to get what is going on."

Kai retches, spitting blood all over the carpet, while Melissa rushes to the kitchen nearby. "Kai!" I exclaim, not knowing what to do, but grab his arm. He covers his mouth, coughing violently, and takes his hand away to see it covered in more blood. Melissa hurries back with a bucket and a roll of paper towels while Cole runs up to us.

"What's the matter with him?" Cole inquires.

"I don't know!" Melissa shouts, "He told me was feeling better and was-the throwing up had ceased, but now he's puking and coughing up blood!"

"How long has he been like this?" I ask.

"For several months," Pixal responds.

"Several months? We need to get him to the hospital, now! I'll drive since I cannot do much of anything else. Cole, can you get him in?"

"Alright," Cole replies, lifting Kai off the ground. I rush to the door, grabbing the keys from Pixal, open it, and hurry outside to the hover car, fumbling with the lock. It turns with a click and I open all the doors as the others come out and get in the driver's seat. I shove the keys in the ignition desperately, twisting it, turning the vehicle on as everyone gets in. I don't even bother buckling in my seat belt and swerve the car round the corner of the neighborhood, driving insanely.

_Please make it, Kai. You have to._


	4. Chapter 4: Emergency

Chapter 4

Emergency

_Please, please, turn green! _I tap the steering wheel nervously, waiting at the red light while cars casually drive by, oblivious to our plight. The light turns green and I press on the gas, speeding through traffic. I hear a loud beeping sound and turn to my left to see a truck heading our way and I swerve, but it's too late. The vehicle slams into my window with tremendous impact, forcing me to fly out of my seat and smash through more glass, shards everywhere as I pass through Pixal's passenger window. I hit something hard, feeling pain in my jolting body as I crash on the asphalt. I lay face upward, staring into the sky and slowly get up, severe pain in shoulder as I attempt to stand. A swoon rushes over me and I stumble forward, leaning against the wrecked car and peer through the window.

Pixal opens her door, shoving the air bag out of her way, coming out perfectly fine, except a bit of wires are exposed on her arm. Melissa opens her eyes with a gasp as I open the back door, and she comes out without a scratch, thankfully. Cole puts Kai in his lap, scooting to our side, and carrying our brother out. Kai looks as if he hit his head, and shards of glass are imbedded in his arms and shoulder. Cole has a bloody head, and he stumbles, nearly dropping the fire ninja.

"Give him to me," I say and take Kai into my arms, my brother's weight making shoulder feel in more pain, tenfold, and my swoon becomes more potent every passing second as I rush to the hospital while the others follow me. The hospital is only a few blocks away.

I let out a small cry from the pain and Pixal asks, "Do you want me to take him?"

"No, I'm alright," I respond. I don't look at the damage done to me so I will not feel as weak, but I am going to have to at one point. _Hang in there, brother! We're almost there. _I reach the hospital doors as Melissa, Pixal, and Cole open them. I rush through, shouting, "Doctors, help!" Several doctors and nurses rush up to us with a bed with wheels, and I drop him on as they hurry to the ER. Everything makes me feel sicker and I put a hand to my head, the floor rushing up to me as my knees buckle. Everything turns black.


	5. Chapter 5: Accident?

Chapter 5

Accident?

I feel something cold and thin touching one of my wires, moving inside my chest. I let a small groan escape my lips. I feel like I have been hit by a truck, but I really was and do not want to move at the moment. I drift off to another dream, or perhaps memory, while the soft sounds of people whispering go away.

**The Day of the Accident**

"So does anyone want to play twenty questions?" Jay suggests enthusiastically, bouncing up and down in his seat in the back of the van, rubbing his hands together from the cold weather.

"Jay, how long have we been playing games? Think about it. We've done eye spy, a-my name is, and tons of other ones I don't even know the names of. Just give us a break, please!" Kai calls back from the driver's seat, his eyes on the snowy road.

"Lloyd, do you want to play arm wrestle or Indian wrestle?" Jay asks.

Lloyd smirks, rolling up his sleeves, showing arms with goose bumps and responds, "Yeah, like you can beat me, the Golden Ninja. I'll go easy on you and do Indian wrestling.

I chuckle while those two horse around in the back and turn to Pixal, who is sitting next to me with her chin in her hand, staring out the left window. I wonder if I ought to say anything to her, but at that moment, Cole leans back from the passenger seat and announces, "We've arrived at our destination!"

"Finally, we've been sitting here for hours!" Jay exclaims, nudging Nya. She startles out of reading her book to see the van come to a stop in front of the ice skating resort.

All of us climb out; everyone (except Pixal and I) rubs their aching muscles, and apparently is quite antsy. "Lloyd and I are going to check everybody in," Kai shivers, his breath coming in wisps in front of him, "Is anyone else coming?"

"Nah, you guys go on ahead," Jay waves his hand as the two head to the resort; then turns back to the rest of us, "Does anyone want to do something, since we have been sitting practically the entire day?"

"What did you have in mind?" I ask.

"Why don't we play man hunt?" Jay suggests eagerly.

I am fed up with Jay's games for today and respond, "No thank you. I would prefer to take a walk."

"I'll do it!" Cole and Nya respond in unison, while Pixal looks at them; then at me hesitantly.

I nod to her and she walks up to the group, saying, "I would like to join as well."

I amble aimlessly away from the group, into the forest, shouting back. "If I have not returned by the time Kai and Lloyd are back, don't wait for me!"

"Okay!" Cole responds.

I walk for quite some time, enjoying every cool breath that enters my artificial lungs, and listen for any sounds of wild life. The snow crunches softly beneath my white shoes and I brush snowflakes out of my blond hair. After precisely three hours, I hear a slight clatter behind me and whirl round, my robotic, blue eyes scanning the forest. I search up and down, side to side, repeatedly, sensing someone's presence, an evil one that is familiar. A shadow is behind me; I know who it is and I turn to see it is Jason, my dreaded nightmare of utter horror. Flames rise in me, my entire body burning, coursing with a dark hatred. Jason smiles ruefully, holding a tiny blade aloft for me to see. "That will not do much harm, will it?" I ask him, summoning up my courage.

"Oh, really?" Jason retorts, "Try to kill me then! After all, _I _sent that girl to stab Kai and murder your father. He certainly took more work than most, that old man."

At those words, I throw away all of my worry of a trap and lunge at him, wrapping my hands round his human throat, squeezing him with all of my strength. "Say that again!" I screech, "Who took more work than most? Huh! You took my father away from me! _You _ruined my life, forever!"

Jason laughs, while my rage grows increasingly unstable. I feel a heavy object hit the back of my head, and see white light, stumbling, and fall onto my hands and knees in severe pain. I close my eyes for a moment; then force them open, while a swoon rushes over me. I see several men gather round me jeering and poking me with metal rods. One of them is stained red and I touch my hand gingerly to my head. When I pull my hand back it is permeated in blood. I grimace, biting my lip till it bleeds in defiance and force myself to stand. The man with the blood stained rod, swings his weapon at my leg the moment I get up. Searing pain shoots up my leg and I fall back on my hands and knees, while the others hit my sides unmercifully, the pain becoming unbearable. "That's enough," Jason tells his men, "Hold him down for me."


	6. Chapter 6: Cover Up

Chapter 6

Cover Up

"No, let go of me!" I demand as several pairs of strong hands grab me, nails biting into my robotic flesh.

Jason undoes the front of my gi, exposing my bare chest, filled with gears and wires. I glance wildly at my enemy's hand, moving slowly, greedily, to my button, and he presses it gently. _No, this is not good. I have to do something, because if he finds my energy source, it's over. _I head-butt the man on my left and snap my head round, sinking my teeth into the right man's hand, squirting blood everywhere. Both release me, but two more garb me, slamming my back against a birch tree, snow dropping on my hair. Jason's smile dissipates as the metal flaps protecting my energy source open up, revealing a round, blue piece that glows and pulses like a heart. Everyone stares at it, mesmerized by its uniqueness I suppose.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Jason laughs madly, "This is it! This is what we need!"

_Is he taking away my energy source for a scheme of his, or does he intend to kill me by extracting it? This does not compute. _My mind races to come up with an explanation, my heart pounding visibly, with a rapidly sickening thump. My breaths come in rasps from the increasing pain and the uncertainty of the situation. I attempt to asses it, but to no avail, at least, not at the moment of my current plight. My eyes widen as Jason's large, gloved hand reaches for my energy source, and I struggle to get away. The grips round my arms tighten as the hand lightly touches my pulsing heart. Searing pain tears through it, sparks flying in the air as I scream with all my might, unable to refrain from tears welling up in my eyes. Jason's hand snaps back as he gazes at my agony with sheer delight, like a child eating all the chocolate candy in the world without fear of ever being punished or told to cease consumption of the sweets. My entire body goes limp with partial relief.

Jason flips the hilt of the tiny blade with dexterous fingers, eyeing it like a bar of gold. He turns to face me with gleeful malice as his fingertips squeeze round the significantly small knife, and he plunges it in my chest. I screech in intolerable pain as the sharp blade pierces my blue heart, my source of life. My senses dull, become a distant nightmare as the men release me and I slump down against the tree, falling face down into the snow.

I lie there for quite some time, everything feeling painful. I hear a vehicle start and I raise my head up to see headlights in my direction. A sharp pain rips anew through my bod as it rams into me and everything goes black.

* * *

"No, no, no, no, no!" I scream, abruptly sitting up, feeling sharp pain in my sides, left arm and shoulder, especially my chest. I am lying on a white bed, with a monitor beeping next to me. Pixal is sitting on a chair alongside the bed, her head leaning on my leg, fast asleep. I smile weakly as I lie back down and reach an unsteady hand towards her, but jerk my hand back when I hear two things: a long, distinct beep of dead heart on a monitor and...

"Kai, no!" someone screams desperately.

**You will find out if Kai survives in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7: Cardiac Arrest

Chapter 7

Cardiac Arrest

My heart race races as I pull out the IV needle (specifically designed for oiling robots) and hastily half roll, half drop off the bed. My wound-ridden body screams at me in protest as I get to one knee with excruciating pain, falling forward on both hands. I inhale, forcing myself to my feet, leaning against the wall while staggering to the door. I turn the handle-even that takes plenty of effort-and rush outside-into the hall, and open the other door and desperately search the interior of the room, spotting a group of people gathered round a blood-stained bed. My stomach knots as I hurry around them, only to gaze upon m brother's sickly body. "Kai, no, please," I say weakly, dropping to both knees, ignoring the shooting pain, tears streaming down my face as a man rubs a jelly-like substance on two pads and rubs those together, and place them on my brother's bare chest.

"100 joules," the man says to another doctor. The doctor turns a knob on a machine that is attached by a wire to the pads. The other man heaves up with a popping sound, pulling my brother's chest with him.

A female doctor checks his pulse on his neck and shakes her head, telling the others, "200 joules."

They repeat the process, shocking my brother's heart, attempting to revive him. I cannot take my eyes off Kai's body, off the dead look on his face. I struggle to breathe, hoping with all of me that he will survive. They do it again, with three hundred joules this time, but to avail. "400 joules," the female doctor speaks in a professional manner, without the slightest hint of concern. I hear Melissa crying, waling, while she watches her husband passing, yet the monitor ceases ringing, and beeps. I stare as a wave of relief washes over me, and I finally look at the others. Melissa has her hands folded together against her head, her eyes shut tightly.

Jay is squeezing a woman's shoulder, and says breathlessly, "It's okay, Nya. Kai's okay; he'll be fine."

_Nya? _I hadn't recognized her, most likely because her hair is long, her bangs are to the side, and she looks pretty, for once (at least to me, unlike Jay or Cole, before she made her final decision). In Nya's arms is a baby, bundled up in a pink blanket, sleeping soundly, oblivious to everything around her. I place a hand on Kai's, feeling it's warmth of life comforting me, knowing he is safe for the present. The cold tears streak down my face and drop on my brother's arm. I close my eyes; then open them as one of the doctors takes my arm, puling me to my feet with an ungentle jerking motion. I stifle a cry, grimacing, and fall back to the cold floor, while Jay bends over me, saying, "Zane, we're taking you back to your room, okay?"

I barely manage a weak nod as the lightning ninja lifts me lightly off the ground, as if I weigh merely fifteen pounds or less. Melissa opens the door and Jay brings me back to my room, with Nya behind us. After he and I are in, Nya Walker shuts the door with one hand, leaving us two in the room and Jay carefully sets me in the bed. Pixal is nowhere to be seen. As he covers me with a sheet I retch, a sharp pain in my chest when the white cloth touches me. Jay instantly drops it on me and puts a hand on my shoulder asking, "Are you okay?"

I am in too much pain to respond, and raise my arm to pull the sheet off, and Jay does it for me. I fumble with my hospital shirt, pulling it up and look down to see my heart glowing green, with only a hint of blue hue left to be seen. Both Jay and I gasp. "What-what happened to you?" Jay points at it with his mouth slightly open.

I still cannot respond and roll off the other side of the bed before he can catch me, hitting my head with a dull thud, and grasp the bar of the bed, bending it significantly, nearly snapping it to. "Hey, hey, Zane!" Jay calls me and rushes round the bed, to my side.

"I want to go home," I whisper.

"What?"

"Take me to my father's-house," I tell him, gasping.

"But-" Jay stops as my eyes plead with him.

Pixal practically throws the door ajar and rushes to my side, grabbing my pale hand, "Zane, what's the matter?"

**Thank you everyone for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows. :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Julien's Window

**Chapter 8**

**Julien's Window**

"C-can you t-t-take me to m-my father's h-h-o-use?" I gasp, clutching the bedpost, bending it till it snaps and cuts my hand deeply, though no blood comes out.

"You need to remain here until you recover," Pixal tells me.

"Rob-bots d-don't need to re-recover," I respond and shift my glance to Jay, who stares at the wall, noticeably uncomfortable. "Am-am I fixed?" No one responds and I feel foolish for having asked such an obvious question. The answer rings in my head, like a prominent nightmare floating through my conscious, yet barely comprehending mind, my own words echoing from when I was in the ship 'The Glass Lady'. _My father is dead and I may die. No one can repair me, ever again. _I do not know why, but the words reopen a deep wound in the very depths of my heart. A lump forms in my throat, and I fight for composure, not wanting my family, especially Pixal, to see me like this, grieving for my beloved father. It feels like he was murdered yesterday.

I startle out of my thoughts, hearing Pixal saying softly, "The robot technician repaired you enough that you won't bleed for the present, as long as your portion of your heart remains green. If it turns any other color or shade, that means-" She hesitates, looking at me square in the eye.

"What does it mean?" I ask.

"You might remain in this state unless Mr. Borg can repair you, somehow," Jay's voice trails off into a mutter I cannot hear enough to make out the words; then speaks suddenly out loud, "Um, I'm going to, uh, check on Nya and the baby." Jay exits the room awkwardly closing the door behind him.

"Do you need my assistance with anything?" Pixal inquires, gently stroking my blond hair.

"I can get back on the bed. Could you get me another shot of oil?" I request; Pixal's eyes focus on the dripping IV, spilling on the floor in a pool, nearly at our feet.

"Okay, I'll go get it, but-are you certain you don't need me to help you on the bed?" she questions me as she heads for the door.

I draw in my breath to keep my voice steady enough to persuade her and respond, "I can manage."

She nods, opens the door, and exits the room, shutting it to behind her. I put both of my hands on the cold floor, preparing myself, heaving my hollow body up, pushing myself to my knees. I wince, reaching my right arm to my aching shoulder and take my hand off again, grasping the end of the bed. I lean against it, forcing myself to my feet. A wave of nausea rushes over me, and I struggle to maintain balance as I stumble to the window. I put both hands under it and push it up, but to no avail. It's locked. I draw the white curtain back, seeing the lock, and take hold of it, striving to wrench it off before Pixal returns. It breaks. I drop it and open the window, staring down into the busy streets of New Ninjago city; a cold draft and snowflakes blow onto my face. I shut eyes for a moment, enjoying the wonderful weather. Footsteps draw my attention back to my current desire: to go home.

I swing both of my legs over the side of the window, calculating how far up I am: eight floors. I grasp the top of the window with both hands, lowering myself slowly and my feet lightly touch the sill. The door begins to creak open as my heart leaps into my throat and without much consideration I bend down, grasping the sill and swing my body down, my dangling feet groping for the next sill. My arms are weaker than prior to the accident, but still will hold out for a brief duration, hopefully. I hear Pixal gasp and rush forward, to the window I suppose. "Zane!" she calls me, a hint of disbelief, mixed with anxiety in her lovely voice, "Zane, why are you down there?"

_How did she know- _I glance down at my shoulder, to see bright red blood running down it and my side, past my leg, to my foot below, dripping, dripping, dripping constantly with a rapid rhythm as I hear her calling the others. _I can't wait any longer. _I find my foothold and let go of the above sill and fight to maintain my balance. I lurch forward, thrusting my hands out to stop my fall, finding myself plummeting and my stomach drops as my left foot catches the sill. I shut my eyes involuntarily as my head smacks into the window below and my eyes fly back open, my hands stretching for the sill. It's too far away. _Just a few more inches and I'll be there. _My fingertips touch it every so slightly and I stretch a bit farther. My foot slips as I grasp it, and I flip over, losing my grip on the sill, feeling myself plummeting.

**Just so everyone knows, the escape from the window is from Mission Impossible 4, except that the escape is not the same. Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago or MI 4.**


	9. Chapter 9: Slipping

Chapter 9

Slipping

**(No P.O.V.)**

"Kai, honey, can you hear me?" Melissa softly takes her husband's pale hands in hers and places them against her stomach. "Can you feel them?" Kai's eyelids lift ever so slightly and he smiles, nodding weakly.

"Zane! Why are you down there? Someone, help!" the couple hear Pixal scream from the room next to them.

Melissa lets go of Kai's hands and tells him, "I'll go see what's going on. You stay in bed."

"But-" the fire ninja begins, but she shuts the door behind her before he can say anything farther. Melissa walks briskly to the other door and knocks twice; then opens it. She hurries in the room to find Pixal leaning out the open window with a metal bar and a syringe on the floor.

"Pixal, what's the matter? Don't tell me Zane is-" Melissa stops herself and gets behind the pretty android, peering over her shoulder. "W-what is he doing?" She stares exasperatedly at Zane, who is climbing to the sill below, holding onto the above one, his feet dangling, yet touch the foothold. He lurches forward, free falling, but catches his foot on the sill just in time.

Jay and Nya burst in the room asking, "What's going on?" Nya's baby, Emma, begins crying as Zane slips and drops.

"No!" Pixal screams as he lands face down, slamming with immense impact against another sill, and catches an electrical wire with his left hand.

Zane looks down, seeing ninja stars dancing in his face as everything blurs and he reaches for the wire with his other hand. He grips it, pulling himself up, his muscles burning with the strain and lifts his body up to where he wraps his feet round the thin, black wire, similar to a two-toed sloth. He opens one hand and moves it farther behind him, gripping the wire. He cautiously reaches out with his other hand, repeating the process, slowly making his way backwards while everyone else gazes at him in horror. _I wish there was such thing as Spiderman_, Zane thinks as sweat rolls down his forehead.

"Zane, hang on, I'm coming to get you," Cole calls to his brother, but before he can step a foot through the window, Jay pulls him back.

"I've got this. I'm lighter and faster than you," the lightning ninja tells the earth ninja and steps both feet onto the sill, holding the sides of the window to steady him, and leaps towards the wire, catching with both hands. He swings himself lightly onto in, landing on his feet, with his two hands still gripping it, his body bent in an animal-like crouch. Inch by inch he grabs the wire one hand at a time, his legs following, coming progressively closer and closer as thunder rumbles in the distance. The lightning ninja rants in his head. _Great, now we're going to slip if it rains, on top everything else we have to deal with! _The rain pours on cue, causing Jay's right hand to slide forward as he places it on the wire. He slips, grasping it with both hands as he flips downward, and wraps both legs round the wire like Zane, but finds he is facing the way to climb to the window.

**Sorry that I had to switch P.O.V.s. This is the most difficult scene I have ever written so I need practice and Third Person-Omniscient is easier.**


	10. Chapter 10: Snap!

Chapter 10

Snap!

Lightning flashes in front of the ninjas' faces, and the thunder booms a few seconds after, showing the monster of the weather is drawing nigh. Jay takes his legs off the wire and hangs merely by both hands, his grip loosening every passing moment. He lets one hand go of the only thing between him and certain death. _Come on, Jay, Zane's depending on you! _The lightning ninja moves his hand forward about a foot and grasps the wire again; then moves his other hand approximately another foot forward attempting not to slip again. "Hang on Zane; I'm coming," Jay reassures the ice ninja, who does not seem to be listening, but gazes above everyone, while Nya calms her baby, and Pixal becomes agitated for the first time since who-knows-when.

Zane freezes, the only movement being his hands and arms trembling out of muscle strain. His left hand loses its grasp and he dangles by one hand, yet he does not react. He just stares at a lone figure on the ceiling, a hood drawn over his face, though Zane knows who is there. A familiar voice whispers in his mind, _Kai is dying from poison, and the blame is lying on your shoulders, for once you are gone they shall know what has been haunting you for many a year. I shall see you soon, Hawthorn, my friend. _The evil voice laughs as lightning cracks next to the electrical line and a piece of the wire splits open, frays, showing wires beneath the black, plastic covering. Zane's attention snaps back to Jay, who's hand is about to touch the frayed piece, a foot or two away from him. Zane swings himself back; then forward, the momentum thrusting him towards the lightning ninja. The ninja of ice grasps Jay's shirt, pulling him away, and grabs hold of another portion of the line, bringing them closer to the window, where Pixal extends her white hands towards the two.

"Zane, the line is breaking!" Pixal shouts, "Hurry!"

"Throw Jay over here!" Cole puts his hands out as the others back away from the window.

Zane's robotic instincts allow him to throw the ninja of lightning far enough that Cole barely manages to grasp Jay by the arms. "Zane jump!"Pixal tells him.

"Watch out!" Melissa warns as the wire snaps and Zane swings his body forward, nearly to the sill, but not close enough.

"Zane!" everyone screams in unison as Nya hands Melissa the baby and rushes out the room to get help.

Zane drops, though it is quite dark, where one can hardly see his figure slam on the asphalt with a slight crack. The lightning flashes, revealing his twisted up body, his arms hugging him and his legs bent upward. His left hand is partially snapped off, hanging by several wires. His eyes are wide open and he stares into the dark sky, rain pounding on his weakened body. A surge of artificial adrenaline courses throughout him and he leaps up, holding his damaged hand. He darts around the building next to him, terror seizing his typically placid mind with utter surety as to run. To run anywhere; anywhere that is away from this waking, walking, talking nightmare he has faced for years and years. The memories of the murders of Kai and Nya's parents flash vividly in his mind, and the murders of Jane and his adoptive Grandmother. He sees his father whispers barely audibly to him at his death, 'I love you'. Zane keeps running, for hours and hours and hours straight, never looking back, never paying heed to his family's desperate calls to him, never feeling the pain in his body. His heart feels flooded with sorrow, yet void at the same moment. There is a hole in the remaining piece of heart, although he possesses no knowledge of any means of curing himself. How he came by to run aimlessly and end up at his old dwelling in the Birchwood forest, he does not, except to presume he misses home, and his father. He draws in his breath out of both habit and pure comfort, and goes to open the door. It is already open a few inches, a sign someone has been in there.


	11. Chapter 11: Is That Me?

Chapter 11

Is That Me?

Zane gazes breathlessly at the door, his tired mind now racing for options. _This could just be that the falcon returned because he misses my father as well, yet he would not leave the door ajar, would he? Perhaps I ought to return to the others for aid. No, they will try to stop me and will bring me back at all costs. _Zane softly takes hold of the side of the birch door, cracking it open a bit more, causing a slight creak to ring throughout the silent forest. The weather for some reason is snowy near here, yet not chilly enough for ice formation back at the hospital. This place is isolated like an island surrounded by water, including the inhabitants of the lonely area. _The treehorns-are here. _He whirls round to see a "tree trunk" lift out of the snow and come crashing close to the house. Zane abandons every thought of stealth and races inside the birch house, hastily shutting the door with a snap as the animal passes the small abode. The ice ninja leans against the closed entrance, waiting breathlessly, and hears a scuffle and a following flap behind him. He turns as his falcon alights on his arm softly, delighted to see him. He flinches as the adrenaline wears off and he can feel the distinct, sharp, ripping pain in his limbs.

"So, you have finally returned, Julien. How come this place looks like it's been abandoned for years?" a voice asks somewhere in the room. Zane glances from left to right. In front of him a shadow comes out of the back of the room, showing an old woman, dressed in a white lab coat. "Who are you?" she says to the confused ninja.

"I am Zane Julien, Dr. Julien's son. And you are?" Zane responds.

"I am Dr. Marcy, previous assistant of your father. I'm sorry to ask you, but did Julien create you as a robotic son?" she questions.

"Yes," Zane answers. He thinks _how did she know? _"Then pardon me for asking," Zane says, "How could you tell I am a robot if he designed to look human?"

Marcy's wrinkles form into a look of concern as well as confusion. "You look only partially human to me. Perhaps I need to clean my glasses because my eyesight is poor. She removes her spectacles and wipes them with her coat; then puts them back on. She squints her eyes as she stares at Zane and inquires, "Do you have a mirror?"

Zane finds that an odd question, but he points over to a faded white cloth on top of a tall, rectangular shape. Marcy pulls the cloth off, wrinkling her nose as dust flies everywhere. The falcon flaps his wings and lands on top of the mirror as the woman beckons Zane over with her hand. Zane walks over to her and stares at Marcy, confused. "Look in the mirror and you will know what I mean," she tells him.

The ice ninja shoots a double take when he sees himself. _What-what happened to me?_


	12. Chapter 12: A Month to Live

Chapter 12

A Month to Live

A portion of the cheek the left side of Zane's face is missing, being a deep hole that exposes the metal and a few circuits. He lifts his sleeve on his left arm to see his robotic flesh partially black and partially pale, almost white and sticky blood adhering to a long gash that runs nearly the entire length of his arm. He notices blue staining his hospital clothing and lifts the top of the shirt to see a blue, liquid substance oozing from his heart. His right leg is twisted outward slightly and creaks when he shifts his weight. "You said you were my father's assistant. Do you know what's going on?" Zane inquires.

"Well, I helped your father a bit, but I mostly learned particular things from him; however, not the same kind of things," Marcy responds.

"What things?"

"We researched ways of prolonging life and making humans robots so they would not die. We did not succeed, until now. I can make robots humans and vice versa, yet I wish Julien had been there the moment I found out. Do you know where he is?" Marcy changes the subject.

Zane's throat constricts as he turns to face her, swallowing, attempting not burst in tears at the mention of where Julien is. A tear trickles and slides into the cavity in his face, causing zapping pain to course through him. He stifles a cry and manages to say to the woman, "He- h-he is…gone."

She casts her face down and speaks quietly, "I wondered if he lived or if not, but I-I hoped he was…alive. I'm sorry."

"Do you know what is wrong with me?" Zane ventures to ask again.

"I do but...Zane- well, you must know eventually, and I don't want you to find out the hard way," she places a hand against her forehead and paces back and forth, "You are damaged enough that your heart and body are worn out. If you do not give it more time to heal, your energy source will never function again. I usually would have to observe your insides to determine anything, but you are nearly in a critical state. There are only two methods to save you, otherwise you will only have one month to live at maximum."

* * *

"How long has he been missing?" Lloyd asks, shooting out of his seat, and putting the phone on speaker.

"It's been several hours and we still haven't found him. He fell off a wire at the hospital and…disappeared," Pixal informs him, her usually monotone voice now filled with deep concern, sounding a bit muffled over the phone.

"Where are you guys? I'll go look for Zane right now!" Lloyd shouts.

"We're at the hospital where Kai is," Pixal replies.

"We're on our way," Garmadon says as the family leaves the table and Lloyd hangs up while they head for the door.

"Where is Zane?" Sensei Wu walks out of his room, his face lighting up for the first time since a year.

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Marcy confirms with Zane as she picks up his blueprint from the floor, holding a toolbox in her other hand.

Zane nods, his head rubbing against the table he had been created on, and responds, "I am ready." Marcy sets the box down and flips on a light on the wall.


	13. Chapter 13: Major Issues

Chapter 13

Major Issues

**Thirty Minutes Earlier**

"Is that why you are alive?" Zane questions her.

"Yes, but I switched myself back to being a human after a month," Marcy responds.

"How could you do that to yourself? I mean, with your own hands?" Zane asks.

"There are ways and besides, I didn't say I did it alone."

"Can you switch me back, after changing me into a human?" Zane speaks softly.

"Yes, after one month, but during that time your artificial heart will remain off and the operation takes three days," Marcy informs him.

"Can I die," Zane asks the question that's been bothering him the entire time, "while I am human?"

"Yes. All humans are mortal and we-"

Her voice becomes distant to the ice ninja as another voice speaks in his head. _If you go along with her, you're going to be miserable. Being a human isn't helpful at all, but of course, you can die more easily. _Zane puts his fingers in his ears, but the index falls off and drops with a thud on the ground. He screams and grabs his zapping hand in agony, while the finger wires fall out of the hole. He crumples into a tight ball on the floor, writhing in pain and knocks into the mirror, cracking it from top to bottom. Marcy runs to the table and hastily clears it; then lifts Zane with surprising strength, and places him on it. She rushes to a pile of boxes, wires, and light bulbs. She soon finds a toolbox and runs back to the Nindroid. She opens it and dumps the contents on the floor, rummaging through the pile, searching for pliers. She cannot find it and grabs a wrench instead as well as a knife; then cuts Zane's shirt open in the center, pulling the cloth back to reveal blue liquid mixed with black pouring out of a slit wire, connected to his heart.

She throws the wrench on the floor in frustration, picks up a roll of black duct tape, and cuts a long strip of it with the blade. She drops knife and roll and begins wrapping the tape round the slit wire, while Zane screeches, grabbing the sides of the table as the liquid mess seeps into the rest of his body. "Just a minute Zane. Don't move!" she shouts as the ninja turns abruptly, slamming into the edge of the blade and the woman, only causing more pain to erupt in his digressing body. "Please, stay with me! You need to hold still!" She lets go of the knife handle, imbedded in his abdomen, and rips more tape off the roll, covering Zane's mouth and then taping his arms to the table. She lightly takes hold of the knife and gently pulls it out an inch, making Zane's pain increase as he screams through the tape, and kicks his legs wildly.

Marcy yanks it out in one swift pull, squirting artificial blood all over them, and Zane flips the table away from her, on its metal side, squirming to get out of the tape. "Zane!" Marcy screams and rushes around the table.

"Lloyd, will you stay with Kai for a moment?" Melissa requests and puts a hand to her mouth.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asks.

"Yes. I'll be right back," she responds and departs swiftly out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Lloyd sighs and turns back to his sleeping brother, who lies on the bed, pale and thin. "I hope the others return with Zane," he says to himself.

A shadow slips into the room, closing the door silently and smacks Lloyd's head with a baseball bat. The assailant drops his weapon and pulls the IV needle out of the fire ninja's arm; then lifts him quietly onto his back.


	14. Chapter 14: Search

Chapter 14

Search

"Zane, can you hear me?" Marcy asks while lifting the table upright. Zane nods, ceasing his struggle while Marcy removes the tape from his mouth and arms. "Are you okay?" He nods again and bites his lip from the pain.

"Can you change me to a human?" Zane requests, "I would be very grateful."

Marcy smiles and pushes her glasses farther up her nose, saying, "Are you ready for this?" She picks up his blueprint off the floor and the toolbox.

"I am ready," he responds after nodding. Marcy sets the toolbox back down and flips on a light switch on the wall, blinding the injured Nindroid.

Zane squints as the woman tells him, "I will have to inject you with a robot sleeping liquid for the operation."

* * *

"Lloyd!" Melissa screams as she shakes the unconscious ninja on the floor of the hospital room, "Someone help him!"

Lloyd's eyes snap open and he jerks right up into a sitting position, shouting, "Kai, no!"

"Lloyd, where's Kai?" Melissa puts her frail hands on his shoulders, while the others rush into the room.

"What's going on?" Jay asks.

"Kai's gone!" Melissa exclaims.

"What happened?" Nya speaks anxiously.

"I don't know." Lloyd responds, "I was hit in the back of my head and now he-he's missing."

"Let's search the area again," Cole says.

"Did you guys find Zane yet?" Lloyd inquires.

"No; we did not discover any traces of him," Pixal tells him sadly as she and the others help Lloyd to his feet.

"We better go in groups and be on the alert in case something else happens to us," Lloyd speaks as they head out the door.

"Okay. That's a good idea, because we don't know what happened or if someone is targeting us," Jay says.

**Behind the Hospital Building**

"Okay. This where we split up," Lloyd announces, "I'll go with Pixal."

"I am going with Jay then," Melissa tells them, eyeing Cole strangely.

"Then, I am going with Jay and Melissa since Nya is taking care of Emma," Cole responds and he heads with them to the right, while the other group heads to the left.

Lloyd gets on his hand and a knee, spotting something in the mud next to the abandoned building to the left of the hospital. "Pixal, can you scan for any traces of them?" Lloyd requests. A soft, blue light projects from Pixal's green eyes as she does a sweep of the area and walks away from him. Lloyd digs his hands in the squishy mud, feeling a small, metal object, and pulls it out, wiping it off with his sleeve; it's a gear. He holds it aloft in the dark night, while rain pours, knowing it's from Zane. "Pixal, I found something!" Lloyd announces as the android rushes back to him, holding something as well. She shoves a shard of glass and two neatly severed wires in his face.

"I found these over there," Pixal points to edge of the old building, "There is something else you will want to see as well." They walk over to where she pointed and find a trail of blue and black liquid that strangely does not wash off.

Lloyd stoops over and touches a bit between his fingers. It makes his skin tingle and he straightens up, asking, "What is it?"

"I scanned it and am certain it is Zane's; however, I cannot get a reading on what it is," Pixal responds, "There is a trail that must be where he went. It looks like he was running away from someone, or something."

"Well, then we better get on the move."

* * *

"Have you guys spotted anything yet?" Melissa ambles to Jay and Cole, who are doing rapid sweeps with their flashlights.

"I think you should go back inside," Jay tells her.

"Why?"

"Nya may need your help, and besides, you shouldn't be out in the rain," Jay says.

"But Kai-" she protests, but is cut off.

"You could investigate where Lloyd had been attacked and where Kai was last seen," Cole adds.

Melissa purses her lips together, her brows furrowed, and gives in, "Alright, but notify me if you find anything." After she departs, Jay picks up a piece of flesh with a bit of brown hair on it.

"Cole," Jay looks at his brother with a concerned expression, "I think we have a problem."


	15. Chapter 15: Void

Chapter 15

Void

Kai flexes a finger, and tests his other ones, each individually; then sighs inwardly. _Great, I still have them, at least. _He opens both palms and weakly squeezes them into a ball. He swallows, his throat dry, and licks his parched lips, opening his eyes to nothing. _Is it night, or this a void room like the ship that had us? _He groans, closing his eyes again and reaching out a hand to touch his throbbing head. It's sticky and stings without being disturbed by any of his weak movements. He bites down on his lip until it bleeds, and moves to curl into a ball, but quickly recoils as a sharp pain shoots through his spine and leg. He strains his ears for any sounds and hears two people in a hot debate, "I said he needs to be chained up, and soon! I don't like the way Harold ended up when he tried to take him!" a deep voice shouts and something shatters.

"Relax, Leroy," a softer, feminine voice reassures his, "He's injured severely and probably broke a few ribs. He isn't going anywhere. Besides, we have hours till morning, you know; then we can chain him up."

"I'm doing it right now!" Leroy exclaims and Kai hears shuffles.

"Okay. I never stopped you. Just don't expect me to participate!" the woman calls as clinking sounds draw near.

The man mutters to himself. "Maybe I should put some of the torch lights out to make the scene more menacing. Huh, why should I be partnered with her anyway? What's so great about her?"

_Is it light out or isn't it? If it is that means…I'm blind, but that couldn't be. _Kai does not dare to move as cold metal clasps over his left wrist then the right one.

The man begins telling random, odd stories, "Once upon a time, there was a little girl allergic to cuteness and lived a dreary life. One day, a friend gave her a puppy named Bear on her birthday. He was so adorable that when she planted a kiss on his head, she died."

_What the heck is he saying? _Kai lies there listening to such nonsense.

* * *

"It looks like there was a struggle here," Jay announces, pointing to scratch marks on the wall of the hospital building and blood mixed with water.

"Jay, it looks more like Kai had a picnic outside. Duh, he fought back!" Cole rants, not quite at Jay, but is just frustrated from the recent events.

"We better follow the bloody tracks before they all wash away," Jay says.

* * *

"Why would he run here?" Lloyd speaks to himself aloud as he and Pixal rush through the birch wood forest, still finding bits of blue and black liquid, progressively becoming blacker as they press on. Lloyd skids to a halt as the tracks turn to the left and stop in front of a tree with a symbol on it; Zane's old house. He pants, his hands leaning on his knees. "Why-here?"

"We should have thought of that sooner. He did insist on going home," Pixal draws her conclusion.

"Ouch! What the heck?" Lloyd mutters.

"Are you alright?" Pixal asks.

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah; I'm fine," Lloyd lies, wincing, but turns his head away from her.

"Listen! I sense danger." Pixal whispers as a treehorn makes soft sounds in the distance.

"We need to go inside the house before the treehorns find us," Lloyd whispers back and both head for the door.


	16. Chapter 16: More Complications Arise

**Chapter 16**

**More Complications Arise**

"We need to get in the house, now!" Lloyd screams as a treehorn approaches them and the Golden Ninja attempts to open the door. It's locked. "Dang it," Lloyd groans and whirls round, blasting a golden ball at the creature. It screeches and topples over into another one of the treehorns. "Try the door again!" Lloyd shouts as he charges another golden ball between his gloved hands, releasing it at the approaching creature.

Pixal tugs at the door, but it won't budge, and she bangs on it, shouting. "Is anyone here? Help us please! Open the door!" Nothing.

"Duck!" Lloyd tells her as a tree-like leg swings at her and another one comes at him. Before he can shoot another ball, the birch leg slams into his side with immense impact, causing him to fly through the air about five yards, into another treehorn. He falls on his hands and knees; then collapses on the powdery snow. He weakly pushes himself back on his knees and charges his golden ball, but it does not light up, and dissipates like an ancient artifact when touched.

Pixal instantly drops to the snow as the leg smacks into the house, denting it almost in half. She leaps up and grasps the birch "tree" and pulls it with slight difficulty away from the house, and into another approaching treehorn. The door has broken off and Pixal looks back, her eyes searching among a crowd of stooping "trees", finding him lying on his back, wild fear in his eyes. "Lloyd!" Pixal screams as she darts in his direction.

Lloyd clenches his aching side, his mind racing for options, knowing his father had been right. He shouldn't have relied solely on his golden powers, but he had a last resort still, thanks to Garmadon. _This is for you, Dad. _Lloyd puts his hands together, concentrating with his mind, lifting the treehorns off the ground, throwing them away from him, scattering them across the forest. Pixal rushes to him, and helps him up by both arms.

"The door is open," she notifies him.

"How did you- oh," Lloyd says when he looks at the ruined tree house.

A woman in a white coat, stained with red, blue, and black, stumbles out of the mess, and falls to both knees, screaming, wailing. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Pixal and Lloyd rush up to her and Lloyd asks, "Are you injured?"

"No," she wipes tears from her eyes and face.

"Is there anyone else trapped inside?" Pixal inquires.

She points towards the house, "Zane-Julien is in…there."

Without further consideration, Pixal pushes inside calling out, "Zane? Zane? Are you in there? Zane, please respond!"

* * *

"The blood leads through Jamanaukai village," Jay simply states as he and Cole quicken their pace towards the little group of buildings. Once there, they begin inquiries with the residents, but no one has seen anything at all.

One particularly tall man walks up to Jay and asks, "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yeah, did you see anything suspicious?" Jay responds.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I saw a man carrying another man in red last night, but I wasn't certain if that's what it was since it was dark," he tells him, "It's dawn now, so I can show you where I saw it."

"Thank you very much. Cole, someone may have seen Kai!" Jay calls to his brother, who is talking to a pretty girl. He says something to her; then hurries back.

The man leads them not too far away, between two buildings in an alley. He talks to them softly, "You know, about six years ago, a young teen killed a man with a knife in this particular place. He lost his memory and did not go to juvenile hall like he was supposed to." The man stops and turns to face the two ninja, "His name was Zane."

Before the two astonished brothers can respond, both are hit in the back of the head, and pass out on the cold floor. The man chuckles, "Zane's going to wish he had never been created."

**I apologize for not updating yesterday. I was****…****sort of punished from writing. I am real****ly sor****ry about that. *chuckles sheepishly***


	17. Chapter 17: When Ends Meet

Chapter 17

When Ends Meet

"I-I'm here," Zane coughs under a pile of wood at the end of the little house. Pixal glances around, pushing through debris in her path such as bits of metal, wood, and fallen objects. Pixal's shoes crunch on shards of glass and she steps on a picture with a broken frame, but pays no heed to it and searches for her loved one.

"Zane, keep making sound so I can find you," she calls out to him.

"A-at t-the back e-e-end of the h-h-h-house," Zane's voice starts to become more and more uncoordinated and languishes as Pixal looks desperately for him. He shuts his eyes as darkness blocks his vision and a hand touches his face.

"Zane hold on," Pixal tells him. "I found him and need your help!"

"I'm coming!" Lloyd shouts from outside, rushing in.

"Zane, are you injured?" Pixal turns to the ice ninja, who opens his eyes, almost groggily and winces as he shifts his weight.

_I fell off an electrical wire. Obviously I will be damaged. _Zane doesn't tell her that and merely responds, "Y-yes."

"Where?"

"My entire left side and the majority of my chest," Zane says, finding his voice stronger.

"Where are you guys?" Lloyd asks, not knowing he is a few feet away from them.

"Right here," Pixal replies.

Lloyd shuffles over, shoving boards aside. A wood beam groans as others are moved out of the way, causing it to come loose and drop over Lloyd's head. "Above you!" Zane warns and Lloyd catches it with both hands, throwing it behind him.

"Thanks. How are you doing?" Lloyd questions.

"I was in the middle of being injected with a syringe, after Marcy had cut some of my wires off, disabling the function where the metal flaps close over my energy source, so technically-"

"Wait a minute. Why was she injecting you and why did she disable your only protection for your "heart"?" Lloyd interrupts.

"I'd rather explain later. Marcy could tell you better actually. Could you help me out of here?"

"Oh, yeah," Lloyd rubs the back of his neck, "Sorry."

"No pressure," Zane reassures him.

Pixal pulls Lloyd aside for a moment and whispers to him, "Although he isn't saying anything, you need to be extremely careful when you remove the beams. From what I can tell he is in an unstable condition and in great peril."

Lloyd nods, whispering back, "I get you."

In no time, Lloyd removes all the beams and picks Zane up under his legs and chest, carrying him outside with a bit difficulty. He sets Zane on the cold snow by Marcy knees and backs away from everyone; then sets both hands together and creates his green motorcycle. "Get on. I can't get off the vehicle or else it will disappear," he tells them.

"Where are we going?" Marcy asks as she and Pixal lift Zane onto the cycle as carefully as possible.

"To my house," Lloyd responds, "My dad and mom will help us take care of him.

**At Lloyd's House**

Marcy knocks on the door of the large monastery, with Lloyd, Zane, and Pixal behind her, still on the running motorcycle. Garmadon soon answers, "This is the Garm- what happened to him?"

"Dad, can you help us?" Lloyd says, "Zane needs attention right away. The house he was in collapsed while he was in the middle of an operation."

Garmadon calls Misako and all six of them carry the damaged Nindroid inside, and set him on the table. Zane screams in pain as Lloyd knocks his left side into a chair while he pulls it away. "Mom, can you get our tools?" Lloyd requests.

Misako rushes out of the room and Pixal looks at Zane's heart, dread creeping through her as the slightly thick liquid slides off the energy source, revealing a deep hole in the blue piece. Zane's eyes turn grey and he opens his mouth for no apparent reason. Misako hurries back in the room and hands the toolbox to Marcy. "I need anyone to leave if you cannot control yourself because he could shut down at any moment. Do you understand?" Everyone nods. "Pixal, I need your help."


	18. Chapter 18: Plan C?

**Chapter 18**

**Plan C?**

"Pixal, please hand me the wire cutter," Marcy requests. Pixal's eyes widen, but she hands her the tool anyway, somewhat reluctantly. Marcy snatches it out of her hand and sets to work at cutting the damaged wires blocking her path to his energy source at a rapid pace. Zane screams and all are taken aback.

Zane over hears Lloyd muttering, "After Jay, Kai, and Cole go missing, Zane is injured like this?"

"Pixal, hand me the syringe in my bag," Marcy says while the android gets it and hands it to her as well. "Don't worry Zane. When you wake up you will be okay." _Or better off_ _at least_, Marcy thinks as she jabs the needle into Zane's arm, injecting the blue liquid into his body, haste being needed above all. Zane's eyes shut instantly and she shoves the syringe in Pixal's hands, working on him anxiously.

**Three Days Later**

"We need to find a way to find Kai, Jay, and Cole," Zane states the very moment he is conscious, "I'm worried about them. Have any of them returned?"

"Um…no, but wouldn't you need to worry about yourself first?" Lloyd asks hesitantly.

"Why haven't you looked for them?" Zane question them.

"We did, but can't find them. We have not seen your falcon either, or we may have already," Pixal notifies him, "How are you feeling?"

Zane ignores her question and turns to Lloyd, "Think a minute. Is there anywhere you may have missed?"

At that moment, the falcon flies in the monastery through the open door that had been left because Misako just entered the room with Sensei Wu. "Zane! You're awake!" Misako and Wu exclaim. The falcon perches on Zane's arm as he sits up and taps on him with his beak, pulling on his sleeve. 'What's he doing?" Garmadon asks.

"I sense he wants us to follow him," Zane announces as the bird takes off, and he immediately gets off the table.

"Wait, Zane! Shouldn't you rest?" Nya calls to him as he rushes out the door.

"I'll be fine," he tells her as he shuts the door and darts off into the grey dawn.

"Be safe!" The women call to the others as they leave, the men following the falcon.

After a few minutes, Zane halts, putting his hands on his knees, panting heavily, and notices he is sweating profusely, now that he is a human. He feels wobbly and the gash has not healed, but has become worse. Being a robot his entire life, the injuries he sustained did not affect him as much as now, yet there is no time for this. Who knows what may have happened to the others while he was asleep? Zane draws in a deep breath, lifting his head to see his bird circling above him, waiting impatiently, and takes off again, still way ahead of Lloyd, Sensei Wu, and Sensei Garmadon.

**1 Hour Later**

The falcon perches on Zane's shoulder. Just the minor weight of the ice ninja's feathered friend feels like a heavy burden. Zane drops to one knee and puts hand out to stop his fall from going any father, and lifts his weary head up, only to meet a part of his darkest dreams. The alley. This is where his nightmare began in that lonely place. "Zane, are you okay?" Lloyd asks, pulling him to his feet.

_No, I am not alone. I have my family, and if someone wants to harm them, I will do whatever I can to save them. I don't want to lose another family member, ever again. _Zane takes a step in the alley and says, "I'm fine." Lloyd's brows furrow with worry, but he merely follows his brother, into whatever trap this may be.

* * *

Jason pushes his chair back from his desk, staring at the monitors, showing Zane from different angles, vulnerable-yes-extremely vulnerable. Jason grins widely, and tells his guard behind him, "13's here. Execute Plan C."

"C sir?" the guard asks, confused, but quickly exits the room, receiving a cold glare from behind.

_Zane…this is going to be fun. I want to see ho great of a ninja you are, or if the rumors are even valid. _Jason runs a hand through his jet-black hair, refraining from changing the plan to his favorite: Plan F.

**I'm sorry for not updating recently. I was grounded from the computer again; however, I have been handwriting one of my next Fanfics during my ****absence. I don't like taking vacations from writing.**


	19. Chapter 19: Without

Chapter 19

Without

Zane gapes at the entrance of the cave, while his falcon pulls at his sleeve with its beak, urging him on. "We better be careful. This place could be dangerous," Lloyd tells everyone, but the rest of his words are blotted out by the flow of memories of the onslaught of people Zane knew, a long time ago. The ice ninja involuntarily touches where he had been injured in the alley, and he freezes his shoulder without thinking, creating a cold pain in his new wound. His legs give way and he drops on both knees, blood covering his body as a young, brunette girl-about thirteen-appears in his arms.

"Jane," Zane murmurs softly, brushing her bloody hair out of her lovely face. He loved her like a sister, even if her brother abused him when he was young. She was not aware Jason would do such things to anyone. After all, he didn't even suspect him, not until he was pushed down those stairs in the secret, underground room.

"Zane, what are you doing? What's wrong?" Lloyd puts hand on his brother's shoulder, anxiety clear in his young voice. _Zane looks like he's touching and cradling someone or…something in his arms. Is he-losing it or does this have to with the time I was captured and he froze? He didn't even put up a struggle with the Venomari Nothing's is in his arms though. _Lloyd smacks Zane's shoulder lightly, "Hey…is there something wrong?" No response. Lloyd smacks him harder, but that doesn't work either, and he shakes the frozen ninja. "Zane, please respond!"

"Let me try," Sensei Wu shoves his nephew out of the way and says, "Zane, can you hear me? We need to save Kai, Jay, and Cole. We need you to help us, please."

"None of this will work. Let me do this," Sensei Garmadon pushes Wu away and mutters, "I'm sorry, but you leave no choice." The previous dark lord jabs a finger into Zane's side.

**(Zane's P.O.V.)**

She's gone…and will never come back. She's gone, forever; out of reach; out of hearing; out of sight; out of this world; she won't know anything that has gone on, nothing. I hug her form tightly, but when I pull away, her body disappears, leaving my arms empty, without her, without the blood from her body, without warmth. For the first time in years, I feel cold, alone. Wait! I'm not alone. What about the people who have always been there for me, and took me in as their own, even after they found out I was…not human. Now-I am one of them. They are my…family. The chill departs from my body, only to be replaced by a hot, sting; a jab to my side. I bite my lip, flinching, tears welling up in my eyes as I hear Lloyd asking me, "Zane. Zane, please come back to us!" His voice fades away and so does the world around me.

A voice speaks in my head; one that I know, that brings back the deadly chill. _They're dying, because of you, Zane. It's your fault._


	20. Chapter 20: Hallway Hades

Chapter 20

Hallway Hades

**No P.O.V.**

"Wait! Execute Plan F," Jason calls to his guard.

"Yes sir!" the man says enthusiastically and exits the room, rushing down the hallway. "Plan F!" the guard presses an alarm button on the wall. A series of rapid ringing sounds throughout the underground and the cave above followed by loud beeps.

* * *

"The alarm!" Sensei Garmadon shouts and the group storm into the cave, grabbing torches that light the wall, but the interior of the place flashes red, off and on, off and on. In front of them were three tunnels. Zane immediately moves to the center one, casting his torch on the ground, while the others follow in single file like this: Zane, Wu, Lloyd, and Garmadon. Near the end, they hear a scraping sound behind.

"Dad! Watch out!" Lloyd warns, grabbing his father and pulling him around the end into the right turn as he and Wu drop their torches, dropping to the ground. Something strikes the floor, next to Garmadon's foot and he pulls it out, to find an arrow, and several others close by.

"Why would they do this all of a sudden? Is this a test?" Zane wonders aloud, before he can catch himself.

"Who is 'they'?" Lloyd questions his brother, eyeing him strangely.

"I'm not certain; however, they might be the people that had kidnapped me when I was small and murdered Kai's parents. I do not know who they are."

"I never heard Kai or Nya say anything about them being murdered, nor about knowing you before," Lloyd says.

"They did not mention knowing me because-" Before Zane can finish his sentence, a rain of bullets strike the wall next to them and he yanks Lloyd, leaping away from the opening. One bullet grazes Zane's left arm, snagging on the gash, tearing the wound open.

"Are you both okay?" Wu asks; then sees Zane holding his arm, and blood seeping between his fingers, "Are you hit?"

"No, just grazed," Zane manages to respond before biting down on his lip, flinching as Lloyd, gets on one knee, his blond hair brushing against the wound. The shots abruptly cease and Zane rushes to the opening, blasting a wall of ice in front of them to bide some time. "Down the passageway, now!" he tells them and they dart forward in the orange tinted passage that expands.

They halt in front of two split ways. "Which one?" Lloyd asks as the wall of ice collapses.

Zane glances from left to right, trying to recall which one. _It's different. It was clearly a large room before. _"I don't know. It wasn't like this at the time."

"We better hurry and pick one!" Garmadon shouts as people clad in black shove pieces of ice out of their path.

"To the left!" Zane shouts as he creates another ice barrier then turns, creating a second one. After making the third wall, his body weakens and he can no longer shoot the ice for about five minutes. The turn leads into another tunnel, but without torches. Garmadon dropped his moments ago and now they can only touch the walls, stumbling forward, in the darkness, with the enemy temporarily delayed. A screech pierces the cave, bringing a deadly chill to the trapped people.

**The End Until the Sequel (of course I'll have to write a third one)**

**Thank you everyone for your encouraging reviews, favorites, and follows. Until next time!**

**Zane's Girlfriend**


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